The magical world of New Zealand’s, Neo-Liberal right wing.

83 comments on “The magical world of New Zealand’s, Neo-Liberal right wing. ”

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1. Follow-the-money 1

   1 August 2013 at 7:19 am

   No, you’ve got it all wrong. Trickle-down is goood, welfare-system is baaad.

   Look, ok, we’ve been trckled-on since 1984, and that’s nearly 30 years and it’s bound to be be a bit frustrating, for the bottom 90% of Kiwi Mums and Dads. But just have faith for a bit longer and remember there’s no gain without pain and, anyway, There Is No Alternative. If you can remember just one thing (we know thinking is difficult for the bottom 90%), then remember that.

   Sleep tight, knowing that the benefits of the free market will surely start to trickle down on you when you least expect it. Maybe, tomorrow, when the tax-free capital gains from those MRP shares start kicking in…
   • Colonial Viper 1.1

     1 August 2013 at 9:01 am

     That warm “trickle down” on our heads looks yellow and smells like piss.
   • weka 1.2

     1 August 2013 at 11:18 am

     Follow-the-money, I think you are a bit behind the times. That’s the OLD trickle-down theory, work hard and be patient and all will be well. It was for a country where most people still cared.

     The smart new shiney one says that the theory is True, therefore it works. If your life is shit, it’s your own fault. Trickle down has been in practice for all this time now, and because the theory says it works, it must, therefore the people that are doing well are evidence of that, and the people that aren’t doing well are lazy/not trying hard enough/bludgers. With the new theory, people who are not doing well, well they just bring everyone down, so they must be incentivised to get with the programme. And if that doesn’t work, they have to be punished. This is the theory for a country which has now socialised a couple of generations into selfishness and greed.
     • Colonial Viper 1.2.1

       1 August 2013 at 9:22 pm

       Money, or rather capital, has a normal tendency to rise like cream, to the top. Which is why structures of government and society are needed to keep redistributing it.

       The Right have been consistent in breaking down those redistributive mechanisms, and the Left…well, the Left bitch about it as they fight a dying rear guard action.
2. vto 2

   1 August 2013 at 8:05 am

   Imo the main problem stems from treating people as a commodity, as a tradeable input unit like a nut and a bolt.

   The right wing cocks simply can’t see that people are not nuts and neither are they bolts.

   It is like they are brainwashed and unable to think for themselves.
   • Pasupial 2.1

     1 August 2013 at 9:04 am

     The right wing are nuts, and they see others as “human resources” to be screwed Then when the whole shonkey structure collapses; they bolt!
     • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1

       1 August 2013 at 1:12 pm

       +1
3. srylands 3

   1 August 2013 at 8:43 am

   The $300 milion per week was mostly used to pay welfare payments.

   The tax “cuts” were just a change to the mix.

   ““We will cut debt by borrowing $300mill a week, to pay for unaffordable tax cuts, to pay for our Hawaii holidays”.”

   This is just inciting petty jealousy. Hundreds of thousands of NZers went overseas for holidays last year. And John donates his entire salary to charity.

   Just petty hysteria. Reasoned people don’t write stuff like this.

   PLus the whole “unequal” thing – really? NZ sits about the middle of the pack in the OECD. We have a generous welfare safety net a highly – very highly – progressive tax system so the higher income folk pay nearly all the taxes. I could go on and on.

   Pure fantasy. It fucking amazes me. I printed this out and passed it around to 11 people – they all – every one of them laughed.
   • KJT 3.1

     1 August 2013 at 8:44 am

     Here we go again. Assertions from Sryland unsupported by evidence, and facts. Of course.
   • KJT 3.2

     1 August 2013 at 8:53 am

     And 100 of thousands of New Zealanders have to chose between paying their power bill and feeding their kids.

     In one of the worlds most resource rich, per capita, countries.
     • srylands 3.2.1

       1 August 2013 at 10:11 am

       “In one of the worlds most resource rich, per capita, countries.”

       The problem of NZ living standards slipping has been well researched by the Treasury over the last 10 years.

       “Long-term productivity growth is not yet meeting our aspirations, which means many of our aspirations for a better quality of life are going unmet.”

       http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/media-speeches/media/03apr08

       The answers to New Zealand’s problems are multiple, but now well known. The current government is moving in the right direction on these policy fronts. Of course it could go faster and harder in some areas but it is limied by the electorate’s capacity to handle change.
       • KJT 3.2.1.1

         1 August 2013 at 12:48 pm

         And. Your evidence that National is heading in the right direction?

         You do know that inequality in New Zealand is rising faster than almost any where else, including such shining lights, as the UK.

         And the rate of economic growth, a right wing indicator, slows every time we lurch to the right.

         And our economy would be still in recession, as the rest of the world gets out, if not for the entirely fortuitous stimulus from the earthquake.

         National are doing the same things that caused a recession in the 90’s, when the rest of the world was not having one, by the way.

         Productivity has risen much faster than wages growth, which means that someone may not be living within our national income, but it ain’t ordinary wage earners, skilled workers (whose pay has been kept artificially low by immigration policy) , the low paid or those on welfare..
       • KJT 3.2.1.2

         1 August 2013 at 1:00 pm

         Treasury is so mired in Neo-Liberal theology that we may as well cut costs and replace them with a windup Don Brash doll. Endlessly repeating, “cut taxes, cut services, cut wages and we will all magically become better off”.

         After 30 years of listening to treasury, we are still going backwards, as you said so yourself, above.

         Where is the better future they promised in the 80’s.
         “Give more money to the rich and they will invest in New Zealand” they said. Well they took it and run. Cut wages and costs instead of upgrading plant. Hence our low labour productivity due to lack of capital investment. We work some of the longest hours in the OECD.

         “Lunacy is repeating the same failure and expecting a different result”.
         • KJT 3.2.1.2.1

           1 August 2013 at 1:30 pm

           As for not living within our earnings.

           Again this March Quarter we had a surplus in goods and services trades, but a 2.6 billion DEFICIT in investment income. The “trickle up” effect, at work.
           http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/economic_indicators/balance_of_payments/info-releases.aspx
           • blue leopard 3.2.1.2.1.1

             1 August 2013 at 2:22 pm

             Srylands comment re people laughing on reading this excellent post, says very little.

             People laugh at things when what they have been asserting is undeniably refuted

             People laugh at things that cut through the usual bullshit

             People also laugh at things when they feel that is the response expected of them. (Social pressure)

             People can laugh for any number of reasons.

             Well done KJT, this post really cuts through the crap, if you have made people laugh while doing so, all the better.
             • Colonial Viper …

               1 August 2013 at 3:55 pm

               The neoliberal experiment is going down in crisis all around the world.

               Even as the economic patient lies dying from the side effects of bad medicine, the crazy doctors want to force feed the patient even more of the same.

               The true (short term) beneficiaries of this Frankenstein experiment: the top 0.1%.
             • McFlock …

               1 August 2013 at 6:40 pm

               I smiled a bit.

               Then I laughed out loud when spylands claimed to be the last office worker in NZ who prints blog posts out to share with friecolleagues and subordinates, rather than using email or social networking.
   • vto 3.3

     1 August 2013 at 8:55 am

     ” I printed this out and passed it around to 11 people – they all – every one of them laughed.”

     Ha ha you and your workmates, sitting in an office, need to get out in the real world and do some real work.

     Oh, and please see my reply to that last stint on the Housing thing yesterday here http://thestandard.org.nz/reaction-to-housing-policy/#comment-672621
     • KJT 3.3.1

       1 August 2013 at 9:04 am

       http://thestandard.org.nz/roy-morgan-shocker/#comment-672570
     • srylands 3.3.2

       1 August 2013 at 9:52 am

       “Ha ha you and your workmates, sitting in an office, need to get out in the real world and do some real work.”

       No fail.

       One was my partner – who voted for the Greens in the last two elections.

       Three voted for Labour last time.

       Four strong National supporters.

       The rest I don’t know.

       But they all thought it was crazy stuff. No wonder the Polls are going south.
       • BM 3.3.2.1

         1 August 2013 at 10:15 am

         One was my partner – who voted for the Greens in the last two elections.

         Wouldn’t have any of that nonsense around here, she’d be out the door. ——->
         • BLiP 3.3.2.1.1

           1 August 2013 at 10:25 am

           ‘

           Looks like the OP missed one:

           the “my woman does what she’s told” bozo
         • srylands 3.3.2.1.2

           1 August 2013 at 10:25 am

           Charming.
       • Rosetinted 3.3.2.2

         1 August 2013 at 10:26 am

         srylands
         Are you on troll duty again? Hope you’re being paid overtime.
       • KJT 3.3.2.3

         1 August 2013 at 1:02 pm

         Making things up now, Sryland.?
     • Ennui 3.3.3

       1 August 2013 at 11:11 am

       Thanks VTO for the comment you and your workmates, sitting in an office, need to get out in the real world

       I just did…in that haven of Chicago school economics the Good Ol’USA there were homeless people (mainly black) with no visible support on every streets corner in San Fran. The current paranoia amongst the well healed in the US and on the TV is that Joe Average is going to join them. Whole cities (like Detroit) are declaring bankruptcy.

       Saw it all with my own eyes, srylands needs to get outside for a few moments, try deepest Otara sry.
   • Colonial Viper 3.4

     1 August 2013 at 9:01 am

     srylands – how can it be “petty jealousy” when it is the Right Wing which absolutely hates beneficiaries getting even $100 a week?

     It’s more like the rest of us understand inequality and unfairness, while you are a shill for the plutocrats.
   • KJT 3.5

     1 August 2013 at 9:11 am

     “The $300 milion per week was mostly used to pay welfare payments.”

     Which makes it patently obvious that the tax cuts for the rich were a blatantly unaffordable election bribe.
     • Rosetinted 3.5.1

       1 August 2013 at 11:31 am

       I think it is patently obvious that the country can’t afford the luxury of having so many people not earning and having to keep them alive with welfare. We are unable to interfere with the market (taking the line of least resistance to doing what is easiest for us and most agreeable to the wealthy) and we must therefore accept that there will be growing numbers of people who fail to show the required energy and determination to be self-supporting.

       Obviously the rubbish dump situation will have to be restructured and the NACT-led new housing areas on the outskirts of the cities in these ‘greenfields’ (about to turn grey) areas can be near rubbish dumps where the needy can provision themselves and do useful work pawing through the dumps for saleable goods.

       The green idea of having homes and jobs close by without expensive and extensive travel required will be met so that would be a plus. Charter schools without much state input or monitoring can cater for ‘these people’. A very good forward-looking policy package that will cut welfare costs and create communities of similar interest is bound to appeal to our NACT supporters. /sarc

       (I just put this because it is possible that those callous cold-hearted b..s on the right wing would be quite happy for us to have our own favellas or Indian type garbage enterprises. And commentators are referring to a caste like mentality amongst the upper middle class already.)
       • srylands 3.5.1.1

         1 August 2013 at 2:14 pm

         The prescription for genuinely higher living standards is pretty clear.

         “Working Towards Higher Living Standards for New Zealanders”

         http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/tp/higherlivingstandards
         • Rosetinted 3.5.1.1.1

           1 August 2013 at 5:48 pm

           Does that treasury publication form part of the fairy story ‘The one with the trickle down fairy. “Give us the money and we will p– on you”?

           If I want to read fiction I like detective stories where the police strive to find the truth and catch and deal with the miscreant. Open-ended stories where the plot changes all the time and there is a choice of bad endings are too way-out for me. I like a good plots with believable characters and a successful end with every chance of a happier future afterwards.
           • srylands 3.5.1.1.1.1

             1 August 2013 at 6:13 pm

             I think you are being disrespectful to the Treasury.

             The Australian Treasury is doing similar work. In fact providing sound frameworks for advancing well being is an important role for economic advisors in the OECD. When Labour is elected I expect they will be drawing heavily on this work. (Remember that free markets primarily serve the workers – not producers!)

             The new Labour Minister of Finance will be absorbing all this in either 2014 or 2017. A Minister of Finance in New Zealand basically needs to get with the programme when he (or she) gets elected. He can’t sit in the Beehive ranting about markets are evil. The dollar would crash and they would lose the next election. Even left wing polies want to get re-elected.

             “Treasury’s Wellbeing Framework”

             http://www.treasury.gov.au/PublicationsAndMedia/Publications/2012/Economic-Roundup-Issue-3/Report/Treasury8217s-Wellbeing-Framework
             • Arfamo …

               1 August 2013 at 6:25 pm

               To be honest mate I reckon Treasury is being pretty disrespectful to the rest of us quite often. They’re neo-lib infested bean counters. But they favour a Capital Gains Tax, so if you don’t, aren’t you being disrespectful to them?

               “(Remember that free markets primarily serve the workers – not producers!)”

               Now you’re just being absurd for the sake of it.
               • srylands …

                 1 August 2013 at 6:29 pm

                 I do favour a Capital Gains Tax. Most Treasury offcials are not bean counters – probably less than 5%.
                 • Arfamo …

                   1 August 2013 at 6:33 pm

                   Ok. Forgot that bean counters means accountants. They’re still too mesmerised with corrosive neo-liberal economic policies. Need a new direction. It’ll have to come from a new government eventually.

                   I do admire your tenacity though. Well maybe not admire…but I kind of respect it.
                 • tricledrown …

                   1 August 2013 at 6:48 pm

                   Economists
                   • Arfamo …

                     1 August 2013 at 10:40 pm

                     Wash your mouth out. And please don’t use that kind of language again.
             • McFlock …

               1 August 2013 at 6:28 pm

               What a load of shit. Capital flight and economic collapse? That’s what you guys (tory economists) promised all through the last labour govt.

               1: Workers are the producers;
               2: free markets level workers down internationally, but favour those with capital
               3: currently the dollar is too high (held there by capital markets) and a drastic reduction in the dollar (say by a third or even half) would boost incomes for those who build, rather than those who collect. Yes, import prices would increase, but that would make manufacturing more profitable.

               At the moment NZ is a small fish in the middle of a big river. We need to get to the smaller pools or tributaries and away from the main current, otherwise we’ll be et or go over the waterfall (it’s a big drop, and we’re close to the edge).
               • Arfamo …

                 1 August 2013 at 6:37 pm

                 See McFlock talks a lot of economic sense srylands. Consistently. People in Treasury need this kind of thinking. They’re too mono-dimensional.
             • Draco T Bastard …

               1 August 2013 at 10:44 pm

               (Remember that free markets primarily serve the workers – not producers!)

               /facepalm

               The workers are the producers moron and we know that the free-market doesn’t serve them. The increasing poverty we see in NZ and around the world in other developed countries that follow the myth of the free-market proves that.
             • Rosetinted …

               2 August 2013 at 2:34 pm

               I’m being disrespectful to the Treasury. Hah. I should be touching my forelock, and am too much of an ordinary citizen to criticise my betters is that it??
   • David H 3.6

     1 August 2013 at 9:54 am

     @Srylands I would really like you to provide a link for this statement.

     “And John donates his entire salary to charity.”

     “Key wouldn’t elaborate on what charities he supported, nor how large a portion of his salary he donated. He said his “personal decision” was not something he wanted publicised.”

     http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/573560/Key-pledges-PMs-salary-to-charity

     Or this
     http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/key-continue-donating-part-salary-if-made-pm-33853

     FFS when are we going to get a decent variety of troll? One who could actually put some sort of argument to support their outrageous claims.

     Reminds me of the saying from Forrest Gump “Stupid is that Stupid does”
     • srylands 3.6.1

       1 August 2013 at 10:42 am

       Here is a link to a statement that all of the PM’s salary is donated to charity:

       “Good one John Key! Key donates his salary to charity”

       http://www.fishing.net.nz/asp_forums/good-one-john-key_topic65278_page2.html
       • framu 3.6.1.1

         1 August 2013 at 12:30 pm

         a link to a comment on a fishing forum is your evidence?

         your pathetic mate – if key did donate his salary to charity there would be evidence being pushed left right and center from the nats

         again – all he said is that he would – there is zero evidence that he does
         • felix 3.6.1.1.1

           1 August 2013 at 9:20 pm

           framu: “again – all he said is that he would – there is zero evidence that he does”

           No, he never said he would donate his salary. This is a myth.

           For several years now I have been asking for references to him saying he donates or intended to donate his salary.

           Not a single one has been produced, ever.
           • framu 3.6.1.1.1.1

             2 August 2013 at 7:14 am

             interesting – myths be powerful things
       • Draco T Bastard 3.6.1.2

         1 August 2013 at 1:31 pm

         The only valid evidence would be a copy of his pay slip with all the money being given out to these charities by parliamentary services. Until I see that then, considering that John Key is a proven liar, I’m just going to consider that he’s lying about that as well.
         • TheContrarian 3.6.1.2.1

           1 August 2013 at 1:51 pm

           Not sure it works like that, Draco.

           Parliamentary Services doesn’t pay the charities, they pay Key who then pays the charities.
           His payslip would only show his salary, nothing more.
           • Draco T Bastard 3.6.1.2.1.1

             1 August 2013 at 2:12 pm

             He could instruct them to and it’s the only way that I’d accept that he was actually giving his salary to charity.
           • felix 3.6.1.2.1.2

             1 August 2013 at 9:26 pm

             “they pay Key who then pays the charities”

             Except he doesn’t, and he never said he did. It’s a myth.
         • Jason Rika 3.6.1.2.2

           1 August 2013 at 4:39 pm

           Donations are tax deductable.
       • Murray Olsen 3.6.1.3

         1 August 2013 at 9:05 pm

         A fishing forum? Haha. Will they still love him after he cuts their snapper quota?
         In fact, I might have even seen you out fishing once. I was with a mate pulling up snapper and kahawai off Rakino, with kingies following them up, when a gin palace full of NAct types turned up. They did a couple of circles around us, intently peering at their colour fish finder, during which we pulled up 3 good snapper. Not seeing any little fish pictures on their screen, they left, loudly proclaiming that there was nothing there. These are the type who think they have the answers for the rest of us. FFS.
4. Frank 4

   1 August 2013 at 8:49 am

   ‘And John donates his entire salary to charity’

   Errr, no he dosn’t.
   • Colonial Viper 4.1

     1 August 2013 at 8:58 am

     I’m sure he has a family trust or two which he considers “charitable”.
     • idlegus 4.1.1

       1 August 2013 at 11:06 am

       i recall reading at the time when he first said that was he donated half his salary to his sons school! i can’t recall the link or anything but i guess my assertion is as good as any anonymous bodies huh.
       • felix 4.1.1.1

         1 August 2013 at 9:22 pm

         I’ve been asking for these mythical links for several years and so far not a single one has been produced.

         It is a myth. He does not donate his salary.
     • Rosetinted 4.1.2

       1 August 2013 at 11:34 am

       We should all be more charitable to our lovely PM Jokeyhen. He has such a nice smile, and is such a friendly person, just like one of us really.
       • srylands 4.1.2.1

         1 August 2013 at 4:47 pm

         Yeah thats right
5. Steve Wrathall 5

   1 August 2013 at 9:39 am

   “global warming can be stopped”?? What global warming? Even the UK Met Office has been forced to admit that it has paused for 15 years despite the so-called “pollutant” CO2 reaching 400 ppm
   http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/news/recent-pause-in-warming
   • BLiP 5.1

     1 August 2013 at 10:12 am

     ‘

     From your link . . .

     . . . The final paper shows that the recent pause in global surface temperature rise does not materially alter the risks of substantial warming of the Earth by the end of this century. Nor does it invalidate the fundamental physics of global warming, the scientific basis of climate models and their estimates of climate sensitivity . . .

     . . . care to reconsider your assertion?
   • johnm 5.2

     1 August 2013 at 11:33 am

     Steve Wrathall
     “It hasn’t warmed since 1998” For global records, 2010 is the hottest year on record, tied with 2005.
     Last year the Arctic Summer ice retreat was the most extreme on record. Australia’s last summer broke records everywhere. Wildfires are more extreme than ever recorded before. The Oceans are warming up killing coral.
     You are so willfully ignorant Steve Wrathall that I for one shall ignore your posts in future you’re just a troll trying to muddy the waters.

     “CO2 is not a pollutant”

     Through its impacts on the climate, CO2 presents a danger to public health and welfare, and thus qualifies as an air pollutant
     • johnm 5.2.1

       2 August 2013 at 10:26 am

       “2013 shaping up to be one of Australia’s hottest years on record”

       http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/2013-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-australias-hottest-years-on-record-20130730-2qvly.html

       “The last 10 months have been abnormally warm across Australia and we’ve seen a notable lack of unusually cold weather this winter. Are we heading for the hottest year on record?

       The more significant records for this period include:

       Australia’s hottest day on record
       Australia’s hottest week on record
       Australia’s hottest month on record
       Australia’s hottest summer on record
       Australia’s hottest September to June (10 months) on record

       A feature of the last 10 months has been the persistence of unusually warm temperatures. Every calendar month since September 2012 has had temperatures 0.5°C or more above normal. The result has been a national mean temperature anomaly of +1.03°C for the past 10 months, well ahead of the previous record of +0.94 °C set in 1997-98.”
   • Draco T Bastard 5.3

     1 August 2013 at 1:39 pm

     Why doesn’t the temperature rise at the same rate that CO2 increases?

     The rate of surface warming has slowed in the past decade. Yet the physical properties of CO2 and other greenhouse gases cannot change. The same energy they were re-radiating back to Earth during previous decades must be evident now, subject only to changes in the amount of energy arriving from the sun – and we know that has changed very little. But if that’s true, where is this heat going?

     The answer is into the deep oceans.
6. Rosetinted 6

   1 August 2013 at 10:50 am

   John Cleese shows how to cope with the confabulations of politics from left and right.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKp7HDv01hk&list=UUo8k-VTdmsKNGWHwDIa-o3g&index=15

   John Cleese SDP/Liberal Alliance political broadcast 1987
   • TheContrarian 6.1

     1 August 2013 at 1:53 pm

     Cleese is a legend.
7. tracey 7

   1 August 2013 at 1:07 pm

   Why would a green voter think it was crazy and your workmates are much more open about who tgey voted for than any workplace ive been in.
   • Rosetinted 7.1

     1 August 2013 at 4:33 pm

     Because they have right wing solidarity! They gather in a circle with their weapons ready to take on the dreaded fierce, three-eyed lefties.
   • srylands 7.2

     1 August 2013 at 4:46 pm

     Because not all Green voters are hard core. There are a number of “soft” green voters who liked the Greens because they were disenchanted with the major parties and they liked the idea of helping the flowers grow, promoting low energy light bulbs, and promoting PT. When J Fitzsimmons and R Donald were around that set up looked cool.

     Then R Norman came along with his economic policies. The effect of R Norman on those soft supporters is yet to be felt.

     Example:

     I know a woman whho lives in Mount Victoria (Wellington). She has been a strong Green supporter. But she wouldn’t be seen dead on a bus, and she wants Transmission Gully built so she can get to her bach on the Coast on the weekend.
     • Rosetinted 7.2.1

       1 August 2013 at 5:37 pm

       You give individual anecdotes. srylands That doesn’t sound like a dry factual analytical economist.
     • Chooky 7.2.2

       1 August 2013 at 5:46 pm

       @sryland ….those softy trendy Green pretenders, you give as examples , are not normal Greens and you know it!…….

       In fact the right wing sees Green economics as the number one threat ….because laissez faire capitalism and right wing capitalists have no where to go with their capitalist profit economics except further plunder the Earth and the natural environment and screw up the egalitarian society …..And they come smack up against the Green Movement with alternative economic theory and values…..And increasing popularity! …And in fact it is the way of the future !
       • Chooky 7.2.2.1

         1 August 2013 at 8:15 pm

         also rysland …You neglect to mention that both Rod Donald and Jeanette Fitzsimmons were/are also formidable Green economists

         …You seem to be wanting to mark Russel Norman out as some sort of exception and threat…as well as split the Green movement into 1.) soft daffy duck fluff heads and 2) OMG dangerous communists (of the SWP Australian red headed variety)!

         …..smile …. your cunning strategms wont work ….because this is an international Green movement that you can not stop….and it has supporters from all walks of life and all social classes

         ( and they dont want huge multi- million dollar motorways built just so they can run their little cars up the coast to their batch at the beach…..snort….what sort of a Green is that?….a phoney wanna be trendo )
     • bad12 7.2.3

       1 August 2013 at 6:45 pm

       Seeing as you claim to be ‘an economist, strylands, and, you claim also that printing money is ruinous to an economy, rampant inflation and all that, how about you give us all your economic analysis as to why there is NO inflation evident in the US economy while that country has been printing trillions of dollars for the past 4 years…
       • srylands 7.2.3.1

         1 August 2013 at 7:00 pm

         umm because the USA otherwise would have had deflation? and their risk free nominal interest rates were close to (or at) zero?
         • Colonial Viper 7.2.3.1.1

           1 August 2013 at 7:08 pm

           Bullshit, there is plenty of deflation going on in the US: income deflation, that is.

           Also the printing of money in the US has done nothing except:

           1) Reinflate the housing securities bubble…yes they are right back at it in the US now, securitising income streams from housing/housing mortgages all over again

           2) Inflating the Dow Jones to new highs

           3) Exporting commodities inflation all over the world, destabilising many poorer nations.

           4) And of course, greatly increase the wealth of the top 0.1% while impoverishing the real economy.
     • Arfamo 7.2.4

       1 August 2013 at 6:50 pm

       I’d hate to be seen dead on a bus too. I’d rather pass away in my bed peacefully at home.
     • karol 7.2.5

       1 August 2013 at 6:50 pm

       I’ll see your anti-bus “greenie” and I’ll raise you a couple of Green Party voting colleagues who take public transport to work.
8. tracey 8

   1 August 2013 at 1:34 pm

   Does the pm claim the 33% rebate on his donated salary…
   • Colonial Viper 8.1

     1 August 2013 at 7:13 pm

     Has the PM ever claimed the rebate on his 33% donated salary

     Maybe we should go to the US system…politicians to make their tax returns public.
   • felix 8.2

     1 August 2013 at 9:16 pm

     No, because he doesn’t donate his salary.

     Where do people get the idea that Key got to be a multi-millionaire by giving away over a million dollars every parliamentary term?

     Utter nonsense.
9. Martin 9

   2 August 2013 at 12:32 am

   “Society is like a stew, if not stirred once in a while a layer of scum floats to the top” Edward Abby
   “and the bottom gets burned,” -me
   • felix 9.1

     2 August 2013 at 3:35 am

     Very good addition
     • Martin 9.1.1

       3 August 2013 at 12:26 am

       thank you 🙂

Links to post

1. The Daily Blog Watch Friday 2 August « The Daily Blog: posted on 3 August 2013 at 7:12 am

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